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GOVERNMENT OF INDIASECOND ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMISSION THIRD REPORT CRISIS MANAGEMENT FROM DESPAIR TO HOPE SEPTEMBER 2006

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PREFACE The neglect of our natural assets and environment has always led to crisis. Whether it is the Mithi River of Mumbai or Tapi of Surat or the civilisational crises in the past in which the “cradle of civilisation” in the Middle East eventually became a desert, Greece and Turkey were deforested, and the destruction of the American prairie contributed to the Dust Bowl, these are eloquent testimony to such neglect. The once mighty Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia or the small tribes that lived on Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean were consigned to the throes of oblivion only because they so willfully decimated their natural assets and environment. India is endowed with extraordinary natural and civilisational resources. Around the time of our Independence, the American scholar Kingsley Davis gave a glowing account of the fabulous geography of India, especially the great Indo-Gangetic plain: “India is probably the third most gifted of the world’s regions with respect to industrial capacity, and the second or third with reference to agricultural resources. But in sheer area it is big enough. The geographical traits of the subcontinent are fabulous and their description requires unblushing superlatives…” The key to the region’s peculiar geography lies more outside than inside the boundaries, although it has its main effects inside. This is the Himalayan range, the loftiest mountain barrier in the world, which shuts off the subcontinent from the rest of Asia. From 150 to 250 miles, the Roof of the World stretches over 1,500 miles across the north of India. It boasts of the three highest points on the earth’s surface, fifty summits of 25,000 feet or more, and an average elevation of 19,000 feet. The Himalayas contribute greatly to the soil, climate and the isolation of India. They are eroding rapidly and sending out rich loam to the plains below. Because high plateau lands lie to the north, the drainage runs southwards towards India. The three main rivers of the subcontinent - Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra - with most of their tributaries, have their sources in the Himalayas and bring down silt that has made the Indo-Gangetic plain, covering the whole of northern India, the most fertile areas of its size in the world. True, we cannot prevent natural hazards, which are endemic to our geology, geography, climate, social and cultural settings, but we can certainly strive to manage crisis more efficiently so that hazards do not degenerate into disasters. With a coherent and meaningful crisis management strategy in place, it is quite possible to visualize our country despite its manifold hazards as a place that will eventually be free of all disasters.“Crisis shouldn’t turn them beggars...” Mahatma Gandhi during the Bihar Earthquake in 1934 In the realm of crisis management, announcing a policy or promulgating a law or creating an institution is a relatively easy task; the challenge lies in implementing policies to achieve the desired outcomes. Crisis management, a governance issue that is both vital and complex, is at the core of India’s administrative system. The system requires innovative thinking and fundamental

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changes in order to quicken the emergency responses of administration and increase the communication network, building safe homes and infrastructure, and learning fromeffectiveness of the machinery to meet the crisis situation and enhance crisis preparedness. research and development and also from the experiences of handling crisis situations inTo that end, it is necessary that the apparatus of crisis management should perform and the past. Each of these tasks is a challenge, and calls for a careful strategy of planning anddeliver. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its 24 hours forecast and the implementation coupled with coordinated efforts of a variety of players both within andNational Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF) in its 46 hours outside the governmental structure.forecast predicted only 8 cm to 16 cm of rainfall over Mumbai on 26th and 27th July2005, while the actual rainfall recorded was 94.4 cm. Thus the margin of error was The Commission thanks Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India for his valuablenearly 600%. There were significant intra-regional differences in rainfall due to cloudbursts guidance and also for having given an opportunity to the Commission to critically examinein some areas. For example Colaba had a rainfall of 7.3 cm while Santacruz experienced this issue. The Commission is also grateful to Shri Shivraj V. Patil, Union Minister ofa rainfall of 96 cm. Neither IMD nor NCMRWF could forecast these huge intra-city Home Affairs for his cooperation and help.differences in rainfall. Let me quote Mahatma Gandhi once again to highlight the essence of ourWhat is needed is ushering in a new paradigm in the quality and efficacy of our institutional recommendations …capacity and delivery mechanisms while ensuring, at the same time, that they are “A technological society has two choices. First, it can wait until catastrophic failures exposeembedded in both the structures of authority and the mechanisms of accountability. systemic deficiencies, distortion and self-deceptions…. Secondly, a culture can provide socialWhile dealing with disasters, we need to be particularly responsive to the emotional and checks and balances to correct for systemic distortions prior to catastrophic failures”.social problems that people experience due to a disaster. Almost 10 per cent of the The recommendations aim at establishing the synergy and convergence of advances inpeople affected by the tsunami – potentially half a million people – had mental health the technological and knowledge era with our rich socio-cultural practices and indigenousproblems so severe that they required professional treatment. Psychosocial care deals coping mechanisms.with a broad range of emotional and social problems and helps in restoring social cohesionas well as the independence and dignity of individuals and groups. It prevents pathologicdevelopments and further social dislocations. Normalisation of emotional reaction is animportant task in psychosocial care for the survivors of the disaster. Emotional reactions New Delhi (M. VEERAPPA MOILY)such as guilt, fear, shock, grief, vigilance, numbness, intrusive memories, and despair are September 19, 2006 Chairmanresponses of people experiencing unforeseen disasters beyond their coping capacity.Emotional reactions are normal responses to an abnormal situation. Nearly 90% ofsurvivors of disaster do undergo these emotional reactions immediately after the disaster.Psychosocial care is essential for all these people.The Commission has carefully studied the present structure of crisis management, systemsand processes including the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the perceived gaps. Inorder to arrive at its recommendations, it has critically examined aspects related toconstitutional and legal framework, institutional mechanisms, funding and infrastructuresupport systems, preparedness measures, human resources development and knowledgemanagement institutions. The Commission’s recommendations aim at not only havingmore efficient systems of governance but also at innovative ways of capacity building andempowerment of all stakeholders at all levels including panchayats and the community,strategic applications of science and technology, realisation of a sound emergency

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Government of India (xi) Issues of Federal Polity Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions (xii) Crisis Management Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (xiii) Public Order Resolution Some of the issues to be examined under each head are given in the Terms of Reference New Delhi, the 31st August, 2005 attached as a Schedule to this Resolution.No. K-11022/9/2004-RC. — The President is pleased to set up a Commission of Inquiry to 4. The Commission may exclude from its purview the detailed examination ofbe called the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) to prepare a detailed administration of Defence, Railways, External Affairs, Security and Intelligence, asblueprint for revamping the public administration system. also subjects such as Centre-State relations, judicial reforms etc. which are already being examined by other bodies. The Commission will, however, be free to take the2. The Commission will consist of the following : problems of these sectors into account in recommending re-organisation of the (i) Shri Veerappa Moily - Chairperson machinery of the Government or of any of its service agencies. (ii) Shri V Ramachandran - Member . 5. The Commission will give due consideration to the need for consultation with the (iii) Dr. A.P. Mukherjee - Member State Governments. (iv) Dr. A.H. Kalro - Member 6. The Commission will devise its own procedures (including for consultations with the (v) Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan - Member State Government as may be considered appropriate by the Commission), and may (vi) Smt. Vineeta Rai - Member-Secretary appoint committees, consultants/advisers to assist it. The Commission may take into account the existing material and reports available on the subject and consider building3. The Commission will suggest measures to achieve a proactive, responsive, accountable, upon the same rather than attempting to address all the issues ab initio. sustainable and efficient administration for the country at all levels of the government. The Commission will, inter alia, consider the following : 7. The Ministries and Departments of the Government of India will furnish such information and documents and provide other assistance as may be required by the (i) Organisational structure of the Government of India Commission. The Government of India trusts that the State Governments and all (ii) Ethics in governance others concerned will extend their fullest cooperation and assistance to the Commission. (iii) Refurbishing of Personnel Administration 8. The Commission will furnish its report(s) to the Ministry of Personnel, Public (iv) Strengthening of Financial Management Systems Grievances & Pensions, Government of India, within one year of its constitution. (v) Steps to ensure effective administration at the State level (vi) Steps to ensure effective District Administration Sd/- (vii) Local Self-Government/Panchayati Raj Institutions (P Suvrathan) .I. Additional Secretary to Government of India (viii) Social Capital, Trust and Participative public service delivery (ix) Citizen-centric administration (x) Promoting e-governance

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Government of India Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances …… RESOLUTION New Delhi, the 24th July, 2006No. K-11022/9/2004-RC (Vol.II) – The President is pleased to extend the term of thesecond Administrative Reforms Commission by one year upto 31.8.2007 for submission ofits Reports to the Government. Sd/- (Rahul Sarin) Additional Secretary to the Government of India

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INTRODUCTION 11.1 The dictionary meaning of the term ‘crisis’ is ‘an unstable or crucial time or state ofaffairs in which a decisive change is impending; especially, one with the distinct possibilityof a highly undesirable outcome’1. In the context of public policy, an event or occurrence canbe termed as a crisis situation if it poses a threat to human life and property or causes orthreatens to cause large-scale disruption of normal life. Thus, ‘crisis’ may be defined as “anemergency situation arising out of natural or human activity which poses a threat to humanlife and property or leads to large scale disruption of normal life”. This emergency situationmay arise suddenly or it may be an outcome of a simmering problem or issue, which was not‘nipped in the bud.’ A crisis may degenerate into a disaster if it is not properly managedresulting in avoidable loss of human life and property on a large scale.1.2 Preparedness and quick response can save lives, protect property and lessen disruptionscaused by crises.This calls for a total and effective response, which must subsumethe coordinated response of the entire governmental system as also civil society. Theresponse should not only incorporate traditional coping mechanisms, which have evolvedover the centuries but also involve meticulous planning and coordination. Cumulativeexperience with crisis management over the years points to an urgent need for putting inplace a holistic and effective response mechanism which is professional, result-oriented,innovative and people-centric.1.3 One of the terms of reference of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission pertainsto crisis management and in particular, to the following aspects of this subject: - (i) To suggest ways to quicken the emergency responses of administration. (ii) To suggest ways to increase the effectiveness of the machinery to meet the crisis situation and enhance crisis preparedness.1.4 Crises include various events, which require immediate attention because of the threatthey pose to human life and property. In this Report, the Commission has dealt primarilywith natural and man-made disasters (for example earthquakes, industrial accidents, etc.)but has used the terms ‘crisis’ and ‘disaster’ interchangeably as relevant in the context. Crisis 11 Merriam Webster Online Dictionary - http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/crisis

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Crisis Management - From Despair to Hope Introduction situations caused by hostile elements like terrorists and extremists involving taking of Executive Director, NIDM; Shri S K Das, Consultant ARC; Shri Sanjay Srivastava, ISRO; hostages, hijacking an aircraft or severely disrupting public order and administration are Shri Naved Masood, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture; representatives of citizens’ not included in this Report and will be dealt with in its Report on ‘Public Order’. groups, officers of Government of India and State Governments and experts and academicians who participated in the workshops. The Commission also wishes to record its special thanks 1.5 While finalizing the present Report, the Commission has examined policies, operational to Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, who inaugurated the issues and institutional contexts relevant to crisis management. In order to generate suitable workshop in Jammu. The Commission also acknowledges the contributions made by the discussions the Commission asked the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) National Safety Council and the Department of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute to prepare a concept paper on the subject, which was then circulated to all ministries and of Technology, Roorkee. departments of Government of India for their comments/suggestions. Based on this paper and the suggestions received, a questionnaire was developed by the Commission for eliciting views and opinions from institutions, organizations and stakeholders in civil society. A consultation workshop was also held with various governmental agencies and based on all these inputs, a paper was prepared for discussion in the four regional workshops held at Chennai, Jammu, Mumbai and Jaipur. The participants at these workshops included officers from Union and State Governments, technical experts who spoke on specific disasters, District Collectors who presented case studies on management of recent disasters and a large number of stakeholders including NGOs and the media. The Commission also had discussions with the Vice Chairperson and Members of the National Disaster Management Authority, the Cabinet Secretary and the Union Home Secretary. The deliberations at the workshops, the feedback received from various organizations, the recommendations made in the past by different Committees and lessons from past crisis/disasters have all contributed to the formulation of our views in this Report. 1.6 The Commission has also drawn upon international declarations and best practices. The ‘Yokahama Declaration’ of 1994, enunciated during the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction signaled a radical shift in disaster management: the earlier practice of disaster management being regarded as the most efficient manner of responding to acute emergencies was replaced by a ‘holistic’ approach embracing all aspects of crisis management that is response,prevention, mitigation and preparedness.The ‘Declaration’ elucidates how prevention and mitigation are the keys to minimize, if not prevent, distress caused by natural disasters and thus form the bedrock of integrated disaster management. The Commission has been influenced by the principles underlying the ‘Yokahama Declaration’ and the subsequent Hyogo Framework of Action, in recommending a comprehensive prevention and mitigation strategy, with the ultimate goals of protecting people and structures from disasters and increasing the effectiveness of response and recovery. 1.7 The Commission wishes to record its gratitude to Gen. N C Vij, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd), Vice Chairperson, NDMA; Members of NDMA; Shri B K Chaturvedi, Cabinet Secretary; Shri V K Duggal, Union Home Secretary; Shri P G Dhar Chakrabarti,2 3

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Crisis Management - An Overview a. Climatic events: cyclones and storms (associated sea erosion), floods and drought and 2 CRISIS MANAGEMENT - AN OVERVIEW (ii) b. Geological events: earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and avalanches; Crises caused by environmental degradation and disturbance of the ecological balance; (iii) Crises caused by accidents. These, again, can be further classified into: industrial and nuclear mishaps and fire related accidents; “In the old days, we had famine codes and drought codes but I think now there are many more sources (iv) Crises caused by biological activities: public health crises, epidemics etc; of uncertainty, many more sources of disorder and turbulence and therefore I think one should pay adequate attention to understanding the processes of this turbulence and how our administrative system (v) Crises caused by hostile elements: war, terrorism, extremism, insurgency etc; has the primary responsibility to come to the help of our people in these times of difficulties, stress and (vi) Crises caused by disruption/failure of major infrastructure facilities including strain”.2 communication systems, large-scale strikes etc; and 2.1 History of Crisis Management (vii) Crises caused by large crowds getting out of control. Natural disasters and crises have been an integral part of human history right from the These crisis situations and their specific features are captured in a ‘crisis management dawn of civilization. The rise and fall of the Indus Valley and Babylonian civilizations are a matrix’ shown in Table-2.1. testimony to this. In the early days, individuals and communities would lead the response to crisis. However, with the emergence of the modern welfare state and the 20th century trends 2.3 Scale of Crises of globalization, urbanization, large-scale migrations of human population and climate Depending on its intensity and area of impact, a crisis situation may be labeled as local, sub- changes, the nature of crises facing nations has increased both in magnitude and complexity. district, district, state or national level. State Governments and their agencies, district officials For example, while the frequency of calamities may have remained unchanged, increasing and local governments have important roles to play along with communities in crisis population densities and urbanization have resulted in greater impact on human lives and management. The scale of crisis determines the nature and level of response. The Union property. In the field of public health, while science has secured a major victory over epidemics, Government has to step in for major disasters by way of providing financial, material and new strains of viruses and drug resistant micro-organisms have emerged raising the sceptre human resources support. Also, in case of certain specific crisis situations, which affect the of global pandemics of new and more deadly diseases. Similarly, while frequency of wars has national interest, a national level response is necessary. Such contingent situations may be declined, modern weapons and mass urbanization have increased manifold the human crisis terrorist incidents like hijacking of an aircraft, suicidal attacks, sabotage, attacks on important caused by such conflicts. The scourge of terrorism has created new types of crises and increasing installations/buildings or community symbols; hostage crisis; threat or actual use of nuclear/ dependence on communications and computer networks have increased the threat of newer chemical/biological weapons; war or war-like situations; mutiny; migration/infiltration/; emergencies in case these are disabled by accident or design. Further, phenomena like breakdown of important services like Railways; chemical/biological disasters and those relating modernization, information explosion, transnational migrations, and the economic to major mines-mishaps; oil spills; cyber terrorism etc. interdependence among nations have all contributed to extending the impact of crisis situations over larger areas. 2.4 Crisis Management 2.2 Types of Crises 2.4.1 In the traditional disaster management approach, the focus was on emergency relief and immediate rehabilitation. Society deemed these measures sufficient as anything more Crises can be classified into the following categories: was considered ‘unaffordable’. Besides, as stated in the Yokohama Declaration, the element (i) Crises caused by acts of nature. These can further be divided into the following of ‘drama’ and flurry of activities associated with these interventions tended to show to the sub-categories:4 5 2 Excerpts from Prime Minister’s remarks to IAS probationers; April 28, 2006, New Delhi.

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Crisis Management - From Despair to Hope Crisis Management - An Overview getting services unruly of essen- erings gath- society at large that the State ‘cared’. A ‘Welfare State’ entails wider responsibilities meaning Disrup- Large Limited Limited Limited A Few Hours Nil Yes No thereby that in addition to the traditional responsibilities of relief and immediate rehabilitation, governments in conjunction with the local bodies, the civil society, voluntary Limited Limited organizations and corporate bodies, address the factors leading to the crisis, in a manner A Few Large Days tion No Yes No tial that ideally prevents their occurrence, or at any rate, significantly reduces their ill effects. Box 2.1: Disaster Management and Instantaneous Terrorism Sustainable Development Limited Yes Yes Nil No No elements Hostile 2.4.2 It is also necessary to recognize that often a “While we cannot do way with natural hazards, crisis does not emerge suddenly; it has a life cycle, we can eliminate those we cause, minimize those Extremism Days To we exacerbate, and reduce our vulnerability to Limited Months Large which may take days, months or even decades to Yes Yes Yes Nil most. Doing this requires healthy and resilient develop depending on its causative factors. A crisis, communities and ecosystems. Viewed in this Generally No therefore, needs to be examined in terms of its light, disaster mitigation is clearly part of a Epidemics Prolonged events Biolo- Medium gical broader strategy of sustainable development – Yes Nil Yes No management cycle that would enable us to anticipate making communities and nations socially, the crisis, prevent and mitigate it to the extent economically and ecologically sustainable.” Table-2.1: Crises Management Matrix Limited Limited possible and deal with the crisis situation as it A Few Hours Source: J. Abramovitz, 2001. Fire No Yes Yes Yes emerges. This ‘life cycle’ of crisis management may (Extracted from - Living with Risk, A global review Accidents Prolonged be divided broadly in three phases - pre-crisis, during of disaster reduction initiatives, ISDR 2004) Medium Nuclear No Yes No Yes Nil crisis and post crisis. Industrial Limited 2.5 Phases of Crisis/Disaster Management A Few Days No Yes Nil No Yes 2.5.1 Pre-Crisis: Preparedness Landslide Minutes Limited 2.5.1.1 This is the period when the potential hazard risk and vulnerabilities can be assessed Limited A Few No Yes Yes Nil Geological and steps taken for preventing and mitigating the crisis and preparing for actual occurrence. These include long-term prevention measures like construction of embankments to prevent Earthquake Large Scale Minutes A Few Large flooding, creating or augmenting irrigation facilities and adopting water shed management No Yes Yes Nil Natural events as drought proofing measures, increasing plantations for reducing the occurrence of landslides, construction of earthquake resistant structures and sound environment To Large Medium Very Limited Extent A Few Flood Some Days Yes Yes Yes management. Tsunami Limited A Few Hours Large Climatic Yes Yes Yes Nil 2.5.1.2 Crisis can also be mitigated through various short term measures, which either reduce or modify the scale and intensity of the threat or improve the durability and capacity Drought Cyclone Limited Extent A Few Large Some Days Yes Yes Yes of the elements at risk, for example, better enforcement of building codes and zoning regulations, proper maintenance of drainage systems, better awareness and public education Months Extent A Few Large Some Yes Yes No No to reduce the risks of hazards etc. Whether Rescue Required Structures Important Level of Community Whether Mitigation Crisis caused Measures Possible? Whether Building Specific Features 2.5.1.3 For different types of disasters, mitigation measures may vary but what needs to be Early Warning Area Affected Preparedness Duration of Possible? Disaster emphasized is the priority and importance to be attached to various measures. In order to do by that, an appropriate legal and operational framework is essential.6 7

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Crisis Management - From Despair to Hope Crisis Management - An Overview 2.5.2 During Crisis - Emergency Response Box 2.2: Distinction between Hazard and Disaster v. Building and maintaining capabilities (human and institutional), infrastructure 2.5.2.1 When a crisis actually occurs, those “Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a natural and logistics; and affected by it require a speedy response to disaster, but there are natural hazards, such as cyclones vi. Developing and disseminating knowledge for effective crisis management. alleviate and minimize suffering and losses. In and earthquakes. The difference between a hazard and a disaster is an important one. A disaster takes place Integration of traditional knowledge in crisis management efforts. this phase, certain ‘primary activities’ become when a community is affected by a hazard (usually indispensable. These are, evacuation, search defined as an event and even psychological factors that 2.7 A Shift to Disaster Risk Reduction shape people’s that overwhelms that community’s and rescue, followed by provision of basic needs capacity to cope). In other words, the impact of the 2.7.1 Little attention was paid in the past to disaster risk reduction strategies that have the such as food, clothing, shelter, medicines and disaster is determined by the extent of a community’s vulnerability to the hazard. This vulnerability is not potential to save thousands of lives by adoption of simple preventive measures. Reviews of other necessities essential to bring the life natural. It is the human dimension of disasters, the the global scenario carried out in the 1990s in the wake of the “Yokohama Declaration” also of the affected community back to a degree result of the whole range of economic, social, cultural, brought home the fact that economic losses caused by natural disasters were increasing. of normalcy. institutional, political lives and create the environment that they live in.” Lack of coherent disaster reduction strategies and the absence of a ‘culture of prevention’ 2.5.3 Post-Crisis Source: Twigg, J. 2001. were identified as the major causes for this disturbing phenomenon3. (Extracted from Living with Risk, A global review of 2.5.3.1 Recovery : This is the stage when efforts disaster reduction initiatives 2004 version) 2.7.2 Disaster risk reduction (disaster reduction) has been defined as the ‘systematic are made to achieve early recovery and reduce development and application of policies, strategies and practices to minimise vulnerabilities, vulnerability and future risks. It comprises activities that encompass two overlapping phases hazards and the unfolding of disaster impacts throughout a society, in the broad context of of rehabilitation and reconstruction. sustainable development’.4 Disaster reduction strategies include appraisal of likelihood and intensity of hazards and analysis of vulnerabilities thereto of the community. Building of 2.5.3.2 Rehabilitation: Includes provision of temporary public utilities and housing as interim institutional capabilities and community preparedness is the next step. Crucial to all these measures to assist long term recovery. 2.5.3.3 Reconstruction: Includes construction of damaged infrastructure and habitats and enabling sustainable livelihoods. 2.6 Elements of Crisis Management These three stages - preparedness and risk management, emergency response and recovery and rehabilitation may be subdivided into various detailed activities as presented in Fig 2.1. Thus a crisis management strategy should aim at: i. Creating appropriate legal and organizational framework; ii. Making government organizations, local bodies, communities/groups and individuals at all levels aware of the risk of potential natural and man-made hazards as well as their vulnerabilities; iii. Meticulous long and short term planning for crisis management, and effective implementation of plans and enforcement measures; iv. Building resilience of the communities to face crises and ensuring their full participation;8 9 3 Living with Risk - a global review of disaster reduction initiatives (UN/ISDR) 4 Source: UNDP (extracted from http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/disaster_risk.reduction_policy)

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Crisis Management - From Despair to Hope Crisis Management - An Overview efforts, however, is the existence of a ‘safety culture’ in societies. Inputs like education, would determine the magnitude and impact Box 2.4: Information-the Key to Risk Reduction training and capacity building play a very significant role. It needs to be understood that of a likely hazard. A social, cultural, political Effective disaster risk management depends on the informed such preparedness can not be a ‘one time’ effort, but is a continuous process. and economic and technological assessment participation of all stakeholders. The exchange of information and easily accessible communication practices of the community would indicate its play key roles. Data is crucial for ongoing research, national 2.7.3 Knowledge plays an important role in disaster reduction. The traditional knowledge vulnerability. The two combined together planning, monitoring hazards and assessing risks. The available with the communitity has to be used along with knowledge acquired through would give an indication of the risk. widespread and consistent availability of current and research and past experiences. accurate data is fundamental to all aspects of disaster risk reduction. 2.8.3 Risk Awareness and Preparation of 2.7.4 Risk (in the context of disaster) is defined as the probability of harmful consequences (Source: Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction Plans for Risk Mitigation initiatives; ISDR 2004) or expected losses (deaths, injuries, property, livelihoods, economic activity disrupted or Having assessed the risk the next step is to environment damaged) resulting from interactions between natural or human-induced make the stakeholders and the decision makers aware of the risk. This enables government hazards and vulnerable conditions.5 Thus ‘risk’ depends on the nature and intensity of the and civil society to take measures to mitigate the harmful effects of disasters. A plan of hazard on the one hand and the action, which should include both long term and short term components need to be prepared. vulnerability of the community Box 2.3: World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, The plan would be complete only if it also includes measures to improve community resilience. on the other. Yokohama, 1994 Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World 2.8.4 Implementation of the Plan 2.8 Disaster Risk Reduction • Risk assessment is a required step for the adoption of adequate and successful disaster reduction policies and measures. The disaster management plan need not be confined only to rescue and relief measures but Framework • Disaster prevention and preparedness are of primary importance in should be all encompassing and include measures like environment management, urban The disaster risk reduction reducing the need for disaster relief. planning, and enforcement of safety laws. • Disaster prevention and preparedness should be considered integral framework is composed of the aspects of development policy and planning at national, regional, following fields of action:6 bilateral, multilateral and international levels. 2.8.5 Early Warning Systems • The development and strengthening of capacities to prevent, reduce The provision of timely and reliable information, through identified institutions, that allows 2.8.1 Policy towards Risk and mitigate disasters is a top priority area to be addressed so as to provide a strong basis for follow-up activities to IDNDR. the community and the government machinery to reduce their risk and be prepared to face Management • Early warnings of impending disasters and their effective dissemination the hazard is essential. Technological advances have helped in accurately forecasting some of A policy framework has to be are key factors to successful disaster prevention and preparedness. the disasters. The challenge here is to use mechanisms to ensure that the warning reaches • Preventive measures are most effective when they involve drawn up backed by the requisite participation at all levels from the local community through the the vulnerable population with utmost urgency. legal and institutional national government to the regional and international level. mechanism that focuses on risk • Vulnerability can be reduced by the application of proper design 2.8.6 Use of Knowledge and patterns of development focused on target groups by appropriate reduction as the major priority education and training of the whole community. Research in the field of disaster management has contributed substantially towards acquiring in disaster management. • The international community accepts the need to share the necessary knowledge about disasters and their impacts. Most of the natural disasters can now be technology to prevent, reduce and mitigate disaster. predicted with a fair degree of accuracy (earthquakes are an exception), and this has led to • Environmental protection as a component of sustainable development 2.8.2 Assessment of Risk consistent with poverty alleviation is imperative in the prevention establishment of efficient Early Warning Systems. Similarly, a reservoir of knowledge and including Hazard Analysis and and mitigation of natural disasters. experience now exists about managing all aspects of disasters. The challenge is to ensure Vulnerability • Each country bears the primary responsibility for protecting that the community at large and the decision makers are empowered with this knowledge. its people, infrastructure, and other national assets from the impact Risk assessment is done based on of natural disasters. The international community should Moreover, information on the subject is growing at a rapid rate, which, again, calls for the assessment of hazards and the demonstrate strong political determination required to make efficient development of systems for processing and sharing of such information. While limitations resilience of the community. The use of existing resources, including financial, scientific and technological means, in the field of natural disaster reduction, bearing of technology do exist, they are being addressed through research globally. likely intensity, location, in mind the needs of the developing countries, particularly the least frequency and past experience developed countries.10 11 5 Living with Risk - a global review of disaster reduction initiatives (UN/ISDR) 6 These are based on the framework provided by Living with Risk - a global review of disaster reduction initiatives, with some modifications.